Violet Helleborine

The joint SLFG/LNU field meeting at Boothby Wildland was a great success. There was a large turn out of c. 25 people and the weather was mostly kind, with just one short shower.

The project manager, Lorienne Whittle, gave us an excellent introduction to the rewilding project, and then led us on a route which encompassed fallow arable fields, hedgerows, The Mereway (an ancient track running along the western edge of Ingoldsby Wood) and finishing up at the Round Hills Scheduled Ancient Monument.

We recorded over 175 different types of plant, the highlight being the discovery of a population of Violet Helleborine by Josh Hedley - only the second site for this species in the county.

Other interesting finds from the ex-arable and hedgerows included a pink form of Scarlet Pimpernel and a planted Orange Whitebeam Sin a hedge.

The Mereway supported good populations of Stone Parsley whose foliage smells strongly of petrol and Common Eyebright. Malcolm Pool and Richard O'Connor found Corn Mint and Lesser Spearwort  in the northern part of Ingoldsby Wood.

Herbarium specimens were collected for the Love Lincs Plants legacy project, including Great Burnet-saxifrage, Common Valerian and Scented Mayweed.